HIGH COURT WILL TACKLE MEDICINAL POT CASE

The California Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to decide whether
employers can terminate employees for lawfully using medicinal marijuana.

The case concerns a former computer systems administrator for a
Sacramento telecommunications company who was fired after eight days
on the job because he tested positive for marijuana, despite the
employee having a lawful recommendation by a doctor to use marijuana
to alleviate back pain from a previous Air Force injury.

Gary Ross, who was fired in 2001, sued for wrongful termination and
employment discrimination, claiming he had a right to use marijuana
under California's 1996 Compassionate Use Act. He said marijuana did
not hinder his work performance.

The justices neither commented on the case nor said when they would hear it.